Proceedings - Translation Concepts

MuTra 2005 – Challenges of Multidimensional Translation: Conference Proceedings
Annalisa Sandrelli
Fig. 1:
Exercise Wizard
(sight translation), and consecutive/liaison interpreting. There is also a “custom” option to
enable teachers to create other types of activities. If, on the other hand, teachers want to
replicate the structure of a particular exercise to create a series of similar activities, they can
select the “existing exercise layout file” option to speed up the process.
After choosing the exercise type, the program requires teachers to indicate the resources
they want to include in each exercise, that is, media files (audio and/or video clips) and
written materials. Clearly, in a simultaneous interpreting exercise the only essential elements
are a video or audio clip and a transcript of the speech. However, the Wizard makes it
possible to add many more resources, including instructions to students, a written translation
of the speech, written exercises (e.g. comprehension questions, text analysis exercises,
language enhancement activities, etc.), a teacher’s interpreted version of the speech (an audio
recording), and so on. 9
Moreover, teachers can select specific fragments from a source clip by applying the
dedicated entry points (“set mark in” and “set mark out” buttons). This is a useful function to
break up a long speech into several clips, without having to physically edit the recording with
an audio/video editing software program: when the system reads the entry points, it loads only
the specified part of the video or audio clip in the exercise. Teachers can also manipulate the
sound stream by adding an echo effect and/or a sound distortion, in order to simulate realistic
working conditions, which, as is well-known, are not always perfect. 10
9 The presence of additional resources (written texts or recordings) is indicated by special icons which appear in
the top part of the screen.
10 Reference is here made to consecutive and liaison interpreting in particular, as these two techniques are often
used in noisy environments. However, poor-quality equipment may be found in simultaneous interpreting as
well, particularly when working as a freelance on national interpreting markets. Therefore, interpreter training
should reflect these less-than-ideal working conditions as well to prepare students to work under difficult
conditions.
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